Study 37: The Life was manifested

Intro

The balance of exegesis and exposition

• the danger of loosing the big picture

  • exegesis

    Digging deeper to find the essence of the language used

  • exposition

    Spreading out to every region of life

The Life was manifested...

• The Life

  The testimony of John Baptist

  • John Baptist

    “I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.”” (John 1:31 NKJV)

    revealed/manifested/appeared/clearly seen/diffuses/

    John 1:31; 2:11; 3:21; 7:4; 9:3; 17:6; 21:1, 14; 1 John 1:2; 2:19, 28; 3:2, 5, 8; 4:9; Rev. 3:18; 15:4

    revealed G5319 φανερόω phaneroō - to make manifest,

    evident G5318 φανερός phaneros - open to sight, visible, manifest, evident,

    φανε) phanē a torch: —a torch-procession - Antiochus Epiphanēs - Antiochus the Illustrious!

  The testimony of John, the apostle

  • John the apostle

    • do not be deceived...

      • John 1:1–9

        In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. (John 1:1–9 NKJV)

      • I John 1:1:2

        “the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—” (1 John 1:2 NKJV)

      • 1 John 1:5–6

        “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” (1 John 1:5–6 NKJV)

      • 1 John 3:5–9

        “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:5–9 NKJV)

        to continue to practise sin in incompatible with being 'in Him'

The flesh is manifested...

• The works of Flesh

  • The inward reality is 'manifested' in the outward. The outward reveals the inward.

    “Gal. 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Gal. 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. Gal. 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Gal. 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, Gal. 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, Gal. 5:21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Gal. 5:16–21 (NKJV)

    evident G5318 φανερός phaneros - open to sight, visible, manifest, evident,

    Galatians 5:19 (YLT) And manifest also are the works of the flesh, which are: Adultery, whoredom, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

  • They are the outward expression of an internal mind-set

    the 'evidence' (evident) of the earlier 'crime'

    • Gal. 5:19–21

      “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal. 5:19–21 NKJV)

  their 'manifestation' shows the true nature of the inward state

• The mind-set of self-realization, and self-centredness

  cf. Oswald Chambers - demanding 'my right to myself'

The Spirit is manifested... fragments that remain

• Love

  • Gal. 5:22–25

    “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, (;) joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”(Gal. 5:22–25 NKJV)

  • (Matt. 7:17–19

    “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt. 7:17–19 NKJV)

  • Matt. 12:33

    ““Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.” Matt. 12:33 (NKJV)

    • known G1097 γινώσκω ginōskō

      to know, to recognise

  • evidence

    if the 'works of the flesh' are 'practised' it is clear evidence that the 'flesh' is at work

• The manifestation of the Spirit

  • “1Cor. 12:6

    And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 1Cor. 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:” 1 Cor. 12:6–7 (NKJV)

• Ministry and character cannot be separated

  The power of the internet has revealed again the trend to 'follow every wind of doctrine' and there is a biblical antidote

  • 2 Tim. 3:14

    • “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,” (2 Tim. 3:14 NKJV)

      they knew their teachers. They knew the character of their teachers. Paul often draws attention to the character and integrity of the 'ministers of the New Covenant'.

      This mitigates the extremes of the Translation Committee of James 1st of England.

    • The Stuart Obession with rank and position

      Most modern versions have corrected this Stuart hierarchy translation and opted for the more accurate 'your leaders' or 'those leading you'. This is no obedience to a hierarchy, or to an office, but an admonition to be mindful of 'those leading you'. The true spiritual authority in the early churches was based on ongoing relationship not positions on an Organisation chart.

      • For example

        • Heb. 13:7 KJV

          “Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.”(Heb. 13:7 KJV)

          The NKJV has followed this line unquestioningly...

        • Hebrews 13:7 (NKJV)

          Hebrews 13:7 (NKJV) Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of [their] conduct.

        • Hebrews 13:7 (CSB)

          Remember your leaders who have spoken God’s word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. Hebrews 13:7 (CSB)

        • Hebrews 13:7 (YLT)

          Be mindful of those leading you, who did speak to you the word of God, whose faith -- considering the issue of the behaviour -- be imitating,

        • Heb. 13:17 KJV

          “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” (Heb. 13:17 KJV)

        • Heb. 13:17 NKJV

          “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” (Heb. 13:17 NKJV)

        • Hebrews 13:17 (NIV)

          Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.